Sports

November 19, 2008

U.S. Auto Club driver Cameron Dodson has been critically injured in a crash along a rural Hancock County (Ind.) road. The 20-year-old Dodson drives for NASCAR driver Carl Edwards' team and was the USAC Silver Crown series rookie of the year in 2007. He won one race in four starts this year. Methodist Hospital spokesman Gene Ford said Dodson was in critical condition Wednesday evening but did not disclose the nature of the injuries. The Daily Reporter in Greenfield, Ind., reported that authorities said Dodson was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from his car when it went off a county road into a ditch about 20 miles east of Indianapolis early Wednesday.

September 27, 2008

With the passing of legend Paul Newman on Friday at age 83, so many things drifted through my brain. The guy was a great actor (gotta love "Slap Shot" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), entrepreneur and he was one of the most charitable individuals on this earth. He also was a member of this country's "Greatest Generation" and I have the feeling my grandpa, age 86, is lamenting Newman's passing this weekend.

But the thought that kept coming back to me is Paul Newman, above left with his wife Joanne Woodward in 1983, loved racing cars and he'll be sorely missed in racing circles around the globe. He raced cars and won races and titles; he owned racing teams and he never stopped loving the thrill of speed. As recent as 2005 he raced in the Rolex 24 at Daytona Grand-Am endurance race and his Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing open-wheel team won eight CART or Champ Car championships, most recently in 2007 with Sebastien Bourdais.

“I have come to know his passion, humor and above all, his generosity," said Carl Haas, co-owner of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. "Not just economic generosity, but generosity of spirit. His support of the team's drivers, crew and the racing industry is legendary. His pure joy at winning a pole position or winning a race exemplified the spirit he brought to his life and to all those that knew him. We will truly miss him.”

Check out more quotes about Newman from the racing community here.Associated Press motorsports writer Mike Harris penned a nice piece about Newman's life in racing. Check it out here.

May 23, 2008

To celebrate the busiest and perhaps most celebrated weekend in motorsports, ESPN.com has been counting down its Top 25 drivers of all time since Monday. These 25 greats span all forms of motorsport and many different eras. And who, you ask, came out on top? Texas' own A.J. Foyt, left. Read Terry Blount's piece about the 73-year-old Foyt here. While you're there you can check out the site's entire list of top drivers and who voted for the list. Also, if you don't agree with the list, you can give your own rankings.